On this page, learn about Friends Historical Library materials available digitally and/or in person in the Special Collections Reading Room.
Swarthmore College Special Collections is a department within the library where manuscripts, archives, rare books, historic photographs and images, and other special materials are held. There are four units within the department, each with a distinct mission to collect items within their subject area:
Students are welcome and invited to use Special Collections. Our materials are only available in our Reading Room, and an appointment is required, but Swarthmore students can easily book a Special Collections appointment online. The Special Collections Reading Room is located in McCabe Library, to your left as soon as you enter the building (room #130).
If you have any questions, please reach out to Celia Caust-Ellenbogen (she/her) at ccauste1@swarthmore.edu
Annual reports of organizations including the below (see full list at https://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/sfhl-sg-3):
Juvenile/children's books (search Tripod) including:
Anti-slavery song books (search Tripod) including:
Antebellum schools in the North
Search in Tripod (https://tripod.swarthmore.edu/) and under "Refine Your Results" on the left side, look under "Library" and select "Friends Historical Library"
Search in the Archives & Manuscripts catalog (http://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/) and then on the right side, under "Additional Filters," select Library = "Friends Historical Library"
Try searching for terms like:
Note that a lot of anti-slavery printed materials (books, periodicals, etc.) have been digitized by a different library. There may not be a link from FHL's record, but you may be able to find a link to a different digitized copy in Tripod or online.
